A Stark Realization
by Alandra-Noir
Summary: When Pepper ends up in a world of trouble, and Rhodey uncovers a dastardly plot, is there anything Tony can do to stop his world from crumbling around him? Rated T for some violence and a little language.
1. Chapter 1: Broken Boots and Missed Calls

Hey guys! Ala here... I've had a little practice at writing some fanfics, and I thought I'd try and do one with chapters this time! I've got a whole story planned out, and I'm really excited to get it going... So let me know if you want more! :D

And a few reviews wouldn't hurt either... Let me know how I'm doing, how I can improve, yeah?

Oh, and Tony Stark and the rest of these guys don't belong to me. They're Marvel's awesome creations.

* * *

**A Stark Realization**

**Chapter One: Broken Boots and Missed Calls**

"Might I suggest altering your situation, sir?"

"Working on it, Jarvis."

"You might want to work faster."

"I know, just shut up."

"I'm just doing what I'm programmed to do, sir."

"Oh shi-"

Tony Stark was having a bad day. 'Day,' of course, was a relative term. Back home, in Malibu, it was just after midnight. Here, it was getting close to noon. But the bright sun and warm, dry air were less than comforting. Especially because currently, there was a blur of red and gold careening out of control through the too-blue sky surrounded by anti-aircraft shots exploding in the air.

The Iron Man suit had lost power to the jet situated in the left boot, courtesy of the first shot that had been fired. And unfortunately for Mr. Stark, he was currently inside said suit, and having a bad case of too many G's. Needless to say, he probably should have thought things through before pulling such a stunt. Planning was important – especially planning to expect the unexpected. Yes, even when the unexpected was a hail of ammo he hadn't seen since his father had told him about the weaponry he'd helped develop for World War II.

While his systems worked on righting his flight pattern, Tony had time to wonder just how the hell the terrorists had gotten their hands on not one, but twelve ("Acht-Achts," as the Germans referred to them, he recalled) German 88 mm FlaK guns. He thought about his trajectory and what would happen if he continued on it unchanged. And then Stark calculated just how much it'd hurt when he stopped, courtesy of the ground. The numbers didn't look good. He then decided such things didn't matter, because they weren't his weapons in the wrong hands, and he had more important things to think about than old war relics and vast amounts of pain.

The gyros built into the suit did their thing, and in mere seconds after the initial hit, he was back on course, albeit with only one boot-jet working. His speed had been significantly reduced, and it was taking a lot of work to simply remain in control of his flight. "This… Is a problem."

"Indeed, sir," Jarvis agreed. "You also have a phone call. Shall I take a voice message?"

"Uh. Yeah." Tony said flatly. "And while you're at it? Initiate calculation of probable escape strategies and turn on some Black Sabbath."

"You always have your priorities straight, Mr. Stark," Jarvis replied in his British tone, running a series of scenarios on the Heads-Up Display. Tony focused on the HUD, quickly ran a few numbers through his head, and started humming along to the heavy rock music, twisting and turning and dodging in the air. There was something about flying for your life to the edgy beats of one of your favorite bands that was inexplicably exhilarating.

It wasn't as much a problem of getting away as it was figuring out how he was going to get home. The armor had taken worse hits, and though he managed to escape the heavy barrage of large bullets, Stark had barely enough power to destroy the guns and land somewhere safe.

"This place isn't safe, sir," Jarvis quipped over the helmet's loudspeaker in an effort to bring to Tony's attention a number of potential enemies in the surrounding area. "Seven bogeys are moving around your current location, and the probability of them finding you before the repairs have been made are—"

"I don't need to know, Jarvis. We'll be up in running in just a few minutes, so let it go, alright?" Tony muttered, not taking the time to look up from his boot to give his discarded helmet a glare.

Jarvis, ' voice remained silent, as Tony assumed it would. When programming that computer, he put a bit of his own sardonic edge into the code, and often times he wondered why. _Probably because I thought it'd be funny._ Right. Funny. Ha-ha.

Not too long after his fight with Obadiah, Tony came to realize that a series of robotic arms being necessary to don the suit was less than efficient. So, he'd crafted a new model in a way that it would be somewhat collapsible. The result was that the suit would fit like puzzle pieces into an attaché case. In addition to that, he practiced putting the suit on with no outside help. The result? It became a lot easier to move around as Iron Man and fix problems on the fly. Both were necessary, because the 'bad guys' were getting smarter.

That being said, Tony had shed his helmet and gauntlets, as well as the broken boot. A million different ways to fix problems he kept finding with the suit came to mind as he worked, and each one was filed neatly away into his subconscious until he had a better time to think about them. Do something about the dexterity; having to remove half the suit for a repair wasn't the best idea in enemy territory. And if a few bullets could fracture the casings around the repulsor tech that powered the jets, then something needed to be tweaked.

Tony wiped at his forehead, only managing to push sweat and grime around instead of wipe it off. The skin-tight, black under armor he was wearing wasn't exactly Egyptian cotton. It didn't breathe at all. And in the unforgiving temperature of the desert and the beating down of the sun, the man was rapidly overheating. _Time to rework the under-armor, genius. If you don't pass out from heat exhaustion and end up being captured by German wannabes who think a few old guns'll take out the Iron Man suit, that is. Because guess what? You pass out, and their thinking'll be right._

"Jarvis, remind me to redesign the under armor."

"The weather a little too warm for your tastes?"

"You could say that."

Despite the sand and overbearing heat, Tony had managed to repair the boot jet enough for it to regain most of its function. He'd initially thought it might not have been able to be done, and had to hand it to himself for thinking of putting a miniature tool kit into the armor. His hands ached, but at least he'd make it home. Stark checked his watch and groaned. Oh, he'd make it home alright, and just in time to be an hour late for work.

With the ease of hours of practice, Tony once more strapped himself into the remaining pieces of the Iron Man suit, ran a few necessary diagnostics, and wasn't happy with the results. There was no way he'd be flying straight to Malibu. He just didn't have the tools he needed to fix the suit for that extended period of flight. Instead, he'd have to stop at his mansion in Dubai, pack the suit up there, and fly back on one of his planes. That added another two or three hours to his ETA.

Pepper wasn't going to be happy.

Then again, with a private plane, at least he'd have time to sleep a little and get a very much-needed shower. And a drink. A very stiff drink. Maybe two.

It wasn't until Tony was sitting in his plane, showered and refreshed, with a tumbler of Scotch in his hand, did he remember the call he'd received in the middle of his plight. "Jarvis?"

"Sir?" The computer's suave voice sounded from the speakers integrated into the private jet's systems. Jarvis' upload had been an after-thought. The speakers were originally meant to blast a good beat, and lead those women he'd employed as stewardesses into 'loosening up' as Tony had so lightly put it in the past. Sadly, this trip he was making alone.

"Who called me?"

"Colonel James Rhodes."

Tony sighed, "Rhodey? I wonder what he wanted…" He raised his half-empty tumbler and sipped at the amber liquid. He hadn't talked to Rhodey in quite a while. They might have been friends as far as the definition went, but rarely did they contact each other. Tony was too busy with his own agenda – running his companies, re-engineering the armor, playing super-hero. Of course, he did a fine job of avoiding Nick Fury's constant badgering about his methods and certain choices – it cut into his leisure time. Parties and appearances were important too. Good publicity was a must. The action figures were just a bonus.

Colonel James Rhodes – Jim, or Rhodey to his circle of friends, also had his share of things to do. The man was, after all, a Colonel, and on top of that, he was on the Weapons Development roster with the US Air Force. In addition to his normal duties, he always seemed to be taking extra assignments, as he quite obviously missed the field. A soldier at heart, the man couldn't turn down a chance at some front-line action. That attitude had no doubt been what saved Stark's life those so many months earlier - a life that, as far as those who knew Tony personally, had taken a turn for the better.

Between the two schedules, it was a wonder that either of them had time to see each other at all. It used to be they would have "business meetings" which by definition of one Tony Stark, always meant briefly mentioning his newest improvements to current weaponry and a few hours thereafter of alcohol, music, and making Rhodey 'loosen up.' Often, Stark's stewardesses helped with the endeavor. They'd had practice.

With the removal of Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing, Rhodey and Tony had even less reason to make time for each other. No more business relationships meant no more business meetings. Even if the severe lack in military funding and contracts was doing less than good for his company. Pepper had convinced Tony to let him at least finish the contracts he currently had, and he in turn made her keep a very, _very_ close eye on where his weapons were being shipped. It was an uneasy compromise at best, but one necessary to keep Stark Industries afloat.

It was tough going.

"Shall I play the message for you?" Jarvis asked after a while.

Stark rolled his eyes, "No, I just want it to sit there. Let the suspense build."

"And you said I had problems with sarcasm," the computer's British voice drawled, his tone somewhat amused.

"Tone? Hey, it's Rhodey. I really wish you'd answer your phone sometimes. I don't know what you're doing now, but I really need to talk to you." There was a pause and a little burst of static. Rhodes had put his hand over the receiver of the phone, and by the muffled sounds that had recorded, it seemed he was talking to someone else who was there. More static. "Look, it's about this project I'm on. Tony, it's important. Call me back. Sooner than later." The message ended.

In the silence that followed, Stark raised his eyebrows, pursed his lips, and gave a little "Huh." That had been a strange message. Either Rhodey was trying to contact him when he wasn't supposed to, or the man was really, really busy. Either scenario would be a decent reason for the Colonel to not have tried to reach him again. "Jarvis, make a note to have Pepper remind me to call Rhodey when we get in."

"You always choose the most simple solution, don't you?" The computer replied with a digitized sigh.

Stark simply grinned and raised his glass. "You bet."

* * *

Alright! That's the end of chapter one! Look forward to chapter two pretty soon... That is, if you guys end up liking this. XD;; Here's to hoping!


	2. Chapter 2: Old Worries, New Solutions

Alright! CHAPTER TWO, KIDS! This one's a little longer... And I'm still trying to get a lot of things set up... But hopefully it's still interesting!

Reviews though, wouldn't hurt... .;

Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Jarvis, all of them belong to Marvel.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Old Worries, New Solutions.**

"You're late." Pepper Potts was standing on the tarmac at Stark Industries' main building, using her best 'what am I going to do with you?' glare. Her Blackberry was in hand, Bluetooth in ear, and a hand placed poignantly on her hips. A wry little smile seemed willing to creep across her face the moment she let her guard down. Tony had flinched the moment he spotted her standing there.

Tony flashed her one of his well-practiced grins and skipped down the steps, looking a lot better than he felt. With each time his left foot fell, a swollen ankle screamed its protests at the repeatedly added weight to it. His shoulders were sore, and there was only so much he could do to ease the pain of dozens of little cuts on his hands. Not to mention he hadn't slept since… He couldn't remember. Hmm.

"Miss Potts, I'd like to think that I'm on time, and things here simply get up and running a lot earlier than they should." His smile faltered. "Okay, what is it?" He could tell by the look in her eyes it wasn't just his being late that was bothering her. The man was notorious for his tardiness, and Pepper had dealt with that since the moment she became his personal assistant. There was something else on her mind.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Stark," Pepper said a little too forcefully. She wouldn't meet his gaze, and instead spun on one of her three-inch stilettos and headed towards the building's entrance. "You had a meeting with some of the new employees set to start an hour ago. They're still waiting."

She hated how observant the man could be. It was always at the worst times. Never did he notice when he was supposed to be at a press conference, or even when it was the accepted time for normal people to sleep. No, he always took time to pay attention when she didn't want him to. Especially when it came to her state of being. Sure, she knew she looked fine from a distance, though upon closer inspection, that impression faded. Her hair just wouldn't go up properly that morning, and no matter how much makeup she put on, she wasn't quite able to hide those dark circles under her eyes. Her outfit, a modest charcoal two-piece skirt and jacket were slightly wrinkled, and she'd forgotten to put a necklace on that morning. Pepper was sure Tony noticed.

Even though she didn't see it, she could feel Tony's calculating gaze on her back, those dark eyes of his almost burning through her. Uncomfortable with that notion, though she wasn't sure why, she slowed her step so that she was walking beside her boss. That way he'd have to turn to look at her: there wasn't a constant view of the woman for him to judge. After all, when you were walking, you had to look where you were going, and navigating the busy building was hard enough when you were paying attention.

Tony wasn't going to drop it. "Pepper…" As they stepped through the doorway and into an already-bustling office building, he put a firm hold around her upper arm and stopped her from taking another step. His ankle thanked him for the break by quieting its screams. There were numerous expressions of 'good afternoons' and 'It's nice to see you today, Mr. Stark! Let me know if you need anything' greetings as he walked in, but Tony ignored them. "Please tell me you slept last night." He wished she'd look at him. "You look like you haven't had any sleep."

"I'm _fine_ Mr. Stark," Pepper said curtly. "Now let's worry about your employees, okay?" _And maybe I can stop worrying about _you _for a little while. _She glanced down at his hand and couldn't stop her eyebrows from tilting towards each other, wrinkling her forehead. The corners of her mouth mimicked the downturn of her eyes.

The moment he realized she was probably counting the cuts and scrapes, Tony removed his hand and cleared his throat. Both Tony and Pepper knew the injuries weren't from the workshop. He tugged on the ends of his suit to readjust it and started towards the elevator again. "Alright, alright Miss Potts. Meetings first."

As if in agreement, the elevator arrived with a 'ding' and Tony stepped inside. A calm voice came over the speakers, "Good afternoon. Which floor would you like?"

"To my office, Clarisse," Tony said flatly to the automated elevator.

"Of course," Clarisse said in a tone that made Tony want to rip out her systems.

It wasn't until the door had all but closed did he realize Pepper wasn't going to join him. The urge to reach out and stop the door came, but the CEO knew he'd lost the battle; when Pepper put her mind to something, she'd be damned if it didn't get done. If that meant Tony wouldn't get a word out of her, then she'd see to it.

Well, he planned on getting around that one way or another. And when one strategy didn't work, then it was time for another.

Much to Stark's disdain, however, he'd have to wait. And that waiting consisted of meeting some of the new engineers he'd hired for a blooming branch of his company. Stark Industries was only part of the numerous impressive companies that bore the Stark name. In the wake of Obadiah's death and the arc reactor's rather untimely demise, it had been decided (and surprisingly, approved by the board) that they should look into new things. One of Tony's ideas had been a branch to help develop new tech for hospitals instead of tech for the military. Save lives, not destroy them.

The matter of arc reactor tech being released for public use, however, was something that Tony had been adamantly against. He'd seen first-hand what that kind of technology could do, and he refused to let that knowledge fall into anyone's hands, save his own. The only argument that had really forced the board to concede for the time being was that it simply wasn't cost-effective to produce them on a massive scale. He was sure that they'd get around that soon enough, but Tony was prepared to deal with that when the time came.

These and other such things ran through his head as he waited for the elevator to make it to the top floor, where his office was located. It was better to think about business than the aches and pains he was feeling from the self-issued mission he'd taken into Afghanistan only a few hours previous.

Another soft 'ding' sounded as the elevator slowed, and Clarisse said clearly over an intercom, "Top floor: office of CEO Anthony Stark. Thank you, the doors will be opening momentarily. Have a good day."

Tony took a quick look at himself in the reflective surface of the elevator doors, nodded his approval, and stepped out as soon as they opened. Immediately there was a rush of three or four secretaries in his direction, and Tony gave them his best simile. "Ladies, please, if you have something to discuss with me, you'll have to find Pepper and find out when I'm available. I'm late for a meeting."

For employees who saw Stark nearly every day, they all looked rather disappointed.

Tony, having been able to deflect such an assault, stepped through rich oak doors and into his office. It was an expansive room with lush carpet and decorated as if he'd hired the best of the best to choose paint and cabinets. Of course, that's exactly what Tony had done. A gorgeous desk sat in front of a series of windows that gave him a panoramic view of Los Angeles. Gathered there were about a dozen men and women, all sitting in expensive chairs and looking outright bored.

That is, of course, until Tony appeared.

The CEO smiled brightly, his hands resting lightly in his pockets. Immediately the new hires snapped to and the air in the room felt like it had physically changed. "Well, looks like we're all finally here." A couple of people had to keep themselves from rolling their eyes. Tony stepped in front of his desk and took a seat on top of it; hands curled around the edge of it as he leaned forward to get a good look at the people sitting in front of him. It was a move in part to get the people in front of him to relax a bit, and to get him off his throbbing ankle. "So, Miss Potts tells me that you're the best of the best in your field. Top of your classes, and men and women with sharp, creative minds."

A few people nodded, one in particular being a younger looking man with a shock of blonde hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and an eager, childish smile on his lips. If he nodded any harder, his glasses would have lost their grip on his face. "You couldn't have found anyone better, Mr. Stark," he said.

Tony pointed at him, "Exactly, uh," Where was Pepper when he needed to know people's names?

"Mark, sir. Mark Jackets."

"Right. Mark here's hit it right on the head. I've hired all of you to make immense breakthroughs in both medical engineering and bio-tech. If someone can't find a donor for a heart? Well, you'll be able to provide them with an artificial one that works twice as well. We want to develop prosthetics that don't just get strapped on – I want them to be able to move at a thought, just as a real arm or leg would."

He slid off the desk and back onto his feet, hardly feeling the pain in his ankle in lieu of the speech he was pulling directly out of his ass. Wincing in pain while trying to inspire never really made things work. "I have men and women working right now on technologies that can be utilized on a microscopic level. What if we could inject millions of cell-sized robots into someone's bloodstream and effectively eradicate any traces of the Malaria parasite they've had their entire lives while leaving no trace of what we'd just done?

"All of you are here to do what you can for the betterment of humanity. And I trust that through hard work and ingenuity, you'll go further than anyone before you could even have _dreamed_ of."

Tony sat back down on the desk and dropped his hands into his lap. "So, any questions?"

The number of grinning faces sitting in front of him remained quiet for a good spread of time. Finally the man who'd spoken up before raised his hand. "This isn't high school, you can just ask," Tony said, eyebrows raised.

Mark sheepishly put his hand down. "Sorry. It's just… Okay, all of us are wondering if we're going to get to work with _you_ on any of this stuff. I mean, you're probably the best engineer in the world. You have now many PhD's now?" The young man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "My point is, I want to see the master at work."

"I'll be around to see what you're doing. If inspiration hits, who knows?" Tony gave a nod. "Anyone else?"

This time a woman spoke up, her hand fiddling nervously with her collar. She wouldn't quite meet Tony's gaze, and the man wondered for a good moment where he'd seen her before. More likely than not, he'd seen her when it'd been too dark to worry about remembering facial features. "I'm Caroline, Mr. Stark." She gave a quick smile, "I was actually kind of interested in the Iron Man suit…" She winced.

"It's red, gold, and piloted by the best looking billionaire on the planet," Tony said lightly, but in a way that was very clear he would not divulge anything further about it. Caroline nodded her understanding and fell quiet.

"Alright. If there're no more questions, you guys are free to go." Tony slid off his desk and offered handshakes to each of his new employees as they left.

Mark was the last one to leave and ended up bumping into Pepper as she tried to enter the room. "Oh, I'm sorry…" Pepper studied the man's face. "Mark?"

"Yeah. That's my name!" Mark said with a bit too much enthusiasm. He was thoroughly surprised the woman knew his name at all.

Pepper smiled at him as he left the office and lightly shut the door behind him. As much as she was dreading spending any time alone with Tony that day, there were a lot of things she had to make sure the man got done. She took a deep breath and crossed the room, the carpet keeping her heels from their usual tune. "Mr. Stark," She said, but Tony cut her off.

"I'm not doing anything else until you tell me what that's all about," Tony frowned. He slid his arms out of his suit jacket and tossed it onto his desk. He then walked up to his PA and stiffly crossed his arms. "I'm not letting it go."

The woman could feel the tips of her ears and nose starting to turn red, though she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment, anger, or something else. She ignored how her heartbeat was suddenly pounding in her ears and did her best to keep her composure. "I already told you that I'm fine." But even Pepper didn't sound convinced this time. "You've got another meeting with the board at four, and Jarvis said that Rhodey called-"

"It was because I left and didn't tell you until I was halfway around the world, isn't it?" Tony's dark eyes searched her evasive features. _Come _on_, Pep. Just tell me._

She wasn't going to break. She wasn't going to tell him anything. _Stay strong, Pepper. He doesn't need to know that you were up half the night worrying and then spent the rest of the morning watching CNN for news on the untimely death of Iron Man. Don't say anything. _"Jarvis said that whatever Jim wanted was important. You really should call him."

Tony didn't budge. "No, Miss Potts."

This time it was definitely anger she felt welling up inside her chest. It didn't help that Tony was giving her an imploring smile. "You should have told me you were leaving," She finally said, words barely audible. "But you're back, you're safe." She finally had the will to look him in the face. "Now call Rhodey."

Much to Pepper's relief Tony relented. He slid off his desk and went around to sit in an actual chair. He very pointedly picked up the phone and dialed the Colonel's number, raising his eyebrows almost mockingly.

There were times when Tony Stark acted just like a child. Pepper had no doubts this was one of those times. She gave a deep sigh and said, "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"That's all, Miss Potts," Tony said curtly.

Rhodey picked up as Pepper disappeared from the room. "Tone?"

"Yeah."

"I can't talk long." Static obscured the connection for a brief moment. "You know that assignment I've been on, right?"

Tony leaned back in his chair and swiveled towards the window. "You've been watching shipments of weapons caches all over the world. Sounds exciting. I've been doing a little of that myself."

"We think we might have found Stark Tech."

Tony was instantly on his feet. "What?!" His knuckles were turning white from the grip he had on the phone, the cuts and scrapes on his hand standing out a stark red against his skin. "That's not possible."

"It looks like it's been cannibalized to hell, but it looks like your stuff. I need to you take a look at it and tell me it is. Where have you been?"

"Busy." Tony said, not hearing much of what his friend was saying by this point. He'd gotten back onto his feet and was at the mini-bar he'd put in his office, hands working to put ice and a large serving of Scotch into a crystal tumbler. He downed half of it in a single gulp.

"…and I don't think that anyone else here agrees. I can try and get some of it to you, but it'd be easier if you came out here to look at it yourself," Jim was saying. "But hurry up."

"I'll be down there tomorrow, Rhodey."

Tony slammed the phone back down on its dock and sat back down, hard. He hit his ankle, but didn't care. They'd been so damn _careful_. And everything that Obadiah had sold, at least according to his files, had been taken care of. The trip he'd taken out to the Middle East had been to remove the last of it. Every missile, gun, and mine had been accounted for.

"Where the hell'd it come from?"

* * *

End chapter two! I'll start writing the next one here shortly. 3


	3. Chapter 3: A Rocky Road

Hey guys! Haha or rather, the like, two people who have read this - thanks, by the way, for stickin' with it so far. Anyway, I've got another chapter for you! Things are moooovin' along. At least I hope. O.o;

Iron Man and all that entails belongs to Marvel.

* * *

**Chapter Three: A Rocky Road**

James Rhodes couldn't have felt more at home. Despite the desert heat, lack of decent television, and grumpy military brass prowling around, Rhodey was quite content where he was. It was rare that he was called out to the field, but this case had merited it. His knowledge of weapons development could come in handy, and already had. Shifting slightly in his seat, he winced at a sore shoulder and bit back a curse. Ignoring the pain, he instead focused on the reports that had recently been filed from fellow soldiers. Trying to make sense of the attack they'd just had was easier said than done.

For months, he'd been on assignment with a covert section of the military to watch freights leaving the country and headed to the Middle East and other potentially threatening locations. When one of them went missing and they went searching, they hadn't expected what they'd come upon. Rhodey leaned back and shook his head, sighing. It had been a long night. _If it can even be called that_, the man mused. It had started late the previous night, and it was now nearing noon. It had been a good twelve hours from start to finish. And leave it to Tony to send him straight to voicemail the first time he'd tried to call.

"_Stay low, men. We didn't expect this many hostiles." In the pinks and oranges of a desert sunset, Rhodey's gaze was focused on the slew of men hovering around a large weapons cache. The crate they'd traced had been identified as one of many stacked up and hidden away by dusty tents and tarps. All of the men carried automatic weaponry, though of what make, he couldn't quite be sure, as it was too far away to tell. The men were big, burly, and looked like they'd be the sort to shoot first and ask questions later, if at all. By their sure footfalls and organized movements, Rhodey was sure they'd had some training. He was pretty sure that reconnaissance wasn't their primary focus – stopping anyone who tried to mess with them was. _

_But there was something odd about the scene. Rhodey couldn't place it, but it hovered at the back of his mind like an insistent itch he couldn't quite scratch. He focused on spotting the leader. "Mark our location and radio back what we've found."_

"_Sir." One of the men on his team put a radio to his mouth and relayed the message. _

_The radio crackled in a response. _

_Rhodey pursed his lips into a tight, focused line. He made eye contact with each of the men in his squad and nodded. "You heard the man. Back off and get back to base. We'll send in some heavier firepower to take care of these sons of bi—" He didn't get a chance to finish. Quite suddenly, the area was crawling with enemies as if they'd sprouted right out of the surrounding sand, and one had taken a pre-emptive shot. Rhodey felt the bullet dig roughly into his shoulder before exiting the other side. _Damn it, _he thought tersely, hardly hearing himself shout orders to his men to take those bastards out. _That was my saluting arm.

_Somehow, they'd been surrounded. How though, the Colonel couldn't quite figure out. The squad had been brought around with him leading it for the sole purpose of finding out where that crate had been stored. They'd stopped far enough from the enemy territory to evade detection. He had been so damn _careful. _But apparently, they hadn't been careful enough. _

_The air was filled with flying casings and thunderous weapons fire. Rhodes saw two of his men hit the sand like a sack of bricks. He drew his sidearm and sunk three bullets into the head of the man that thought killing his soldiers would be funny. The pain in his shoulder and sticky, warm feeling of the blood running down his arm was hardly noticed. _

_One of the soldiers had managed to get his hands on his radio and call for backup. The other three squads in the area raced towards their location. Rhodes vaguely heard the rumble of Humvee engines in the distance, but focused on squelching the attack. He felt the heat of a rogue bullet zip right over his ear, not knowing whether it had come from one of the enemy, or from his own side. He didn't care. The gun in his hand kicked back with each bullet fired, and his hands worked to drop the empty clip and reload. _

_Someone else fell just beside him. _

_There was sand everywhere in the air, screams of men from both sides, and chaos reigned. Somewhere off to his left, a frag grenade exploded, sending shrapnel raining down on his helmet and shoulders. Something that looked suspiciously like an ear hit the sand by his feet. He didn't want to think about to whom that might have belonged. _

_As soon as the Humvees arrived, the battled turned to the military's favor. The mounted machine guns and assault rifles the other men had at their disposal quickly dispatched any remaining ambushers, as well as the men who had been guarding the cache. Unfortunately, they'd taken it upon themselves to join the fight. Almost as quickly as it had begun, the attack was over. The last of the gunfire echoed through the hot air, and Rhodey grabbed at his shoulder, feeling his own blood seep between his fingers and run down his already blood-soaked sleeve. He still clenched his pistol tightly, though it was smeared with warm red and rough dirt. _

"_Get these men back to base. Apply first aid where needed, and get someone down there on the radio. Let them know what happened here, damn it." _

"_Colonel, sir!" With a snappy salute, the man did as he was instructed. _

_Jim pushed away anyone trying to help dress his own wound and pointed the medics towards the soldiers that really needed it. Rhodey knew his shoulder was hurting like hell, but also knew the wound was superficial. In-and-out. He'd be fine. His men, on the other hand, might not be. _

"_Three dead, two with critical injuries, and a dozen more wounded, sir," the doctor said, his square jaw set tightly. "What happened out there?" _

_Rhodey didn't answer, and instead let his shoulder be cleaned and patched up in silence. He was wondering just that. What the hell _had_ happened? Why hadn't they seen that many men closing in? The total count of enemy deaths had been fifteen. He'd only counted seven patrolling the weapons cache, so where did the other eight come from?_

_It made him wonder if he was losing his touch. _

"_All set, Colonel," The doctor said and gave him a solid clap on his good shoulder. "You were lucky that didn't hit anything too vital." _

_Rhodes offered an empty smile, "Yeah." He shrugged back into his shirt and jacket and made his way to debriefing. _

Rhodey focused again on the reports in hand. He had called Tony immediately upon seeing what had been brought back from the cache and got the man's voicemail. Typical Tony. The crate they'd traced hadn't been Stark weaponry, but what they'd found in some of the other crates had been suspicious at best. Unfortunately, he hadn't had a chance to talk to his friend since his initial call, and was thankful when his cell finally rang.

The conversation was short, and much like his behavior initially after having been rescued, Tony had given replies that dodged a few of Rhodey's questions. However, he managed to get his message across, and was assured that he'd see the CEO the following morning.

Snapping his phone shut and dropping it on the desk, Rhodey sighed deeply and put his face in his palm, closing his eyes tightly. If Tony showed up in the armor, there would be a lot of explaining to do to his superiors. It was bad enough getting them to allow Tony to come and examine tech that was part of a classified operation without him running around in that high-tech costume of his. Of course, Stark was the expert of experts on such things, and everyone knew his input would be nothing if not helpful, vigilante quirks or no.

He didn't even want to factor in the large number of Iron Man fan boys that were currently stationed there.

Rhodey almost called Stark back to tell him to leave the suit at home.

Almost. He didn't want to hear that ridiculous voicemail message again.

There weren't many chances during the day for Pepper Potts to sit and take a breather. When she did find that time, Tony usually found a reason to bother her. This was no exception. The moment her rear hit the cushion of her office chair, a little light on her intercom blinked on, followed by Tony's voice. "Potts?"

She momentarily caught a flash of being in the parking lot of the building that used to house the arc reactor. The concrete had been ripped apart like tissue paper, and the gigantic grey monster that Obadiah had become had crawled out from below like a demon out of hell. Then, there had been a flash of red and gold, and suddenly she'd been left alone to ponder the explosions and shrieks of metal that were coming from the road. Until Tony called her name, Pepper hadn't been sure if he was even alive. She quickly shook that vision from her mind's eye, but couldn't rid herself of the serious tone Tony had used over the comm. She was sure that was what brought the memory to mind. The grave note and almost whisper of his voice sent her heart racing. So much thought sparked by one word.

"Y-yes, Mr. Stark?"

"I have to duck out early today. Cancel any further meetings for the rest of the day and all of tomorrow." The intercom cut off before Pepper could respond. She stared at it, mouth slightly open. She knew that tone too. Slowly, she got her fingers working and pulled her trusty Blackberry out, bringing up Tony's schedule. Clearing it was going to take a lot of calls and even more apologies.

Pepper literally jumped when she felt the hand on her shoulder. She looked up and realized it belonged to Tony. He gave her shoulder a little squeeze and leaned down so that he was eye level with her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and saw the anger—no, it was fear in his eyes. "Mr. Stark?" She asked. It was a wonder Tony couldn't hear her pounding heart. It was so loud in her ears that she could hardly hear her boss speak.

"Pep, I have to go. Rhodey found something… Weapons. They might be mine. I have to go take a look." Tony was thankful that Pepper was close to his office, and even more so that most of his other employees were on lower floors. He didn't need a flurry of extra jobs thrown at him at the moment. "I'll be back late tomorrow night. After you finish things up here, you can take off until I get back." He forced his too-practiced smile onto his face – the one he used for the paparazzi. "No need for you to bum around this place when the boss is off playing, right?"

"Mr. Stark," Pepper said, mustering as much light-heartedness as she could, "That's what I do every day." She gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'll clear the schedule."

"Thanks, Pep."

She couldn't quite look at him, and instead focused on the device in her hand, "Yeah. You be careful, okay?" The redhead lightly reached up and placed her pale hand on Tony's and then immediately removed it as if she'd been burned. Where had _that _come from?

If Tony noticed, he didn't make any mention of it. "I always am. I'll call you when I get there. And if you'd rather, the guest room's always open for you. Maybe you can keep Jarvis company. He gets lonely if I leave him for too long." Tony was pretty sure that was an empty offer. She never stayed overnight at his place. She claimed it wasn't professional. Tony had never seen the problem with it.

Pepper just pushed a few stray hairs out of her face and nodded. "Will that all, Mr. Stark?"

Tony removed his hand and took a deep breath, "That'll be all, Miss Potts."

With a gait that was still compromised by that swollen ankle, Tony made his way to the elevator and disappeared behind its reflective doors. Pepper found she couldn't quite look up. He was leaving again. Every time he did, the woman found it was harder for her to let him go, and for all the time she spent thinking about it, she just couldn't figure out _why. _

Pepper was pretty sure that she was wound too tight. And she fully blamed that boss of hers. He'd left without telling her, came back all cut up and refused to tell her what he'd been doing. And now he was leaving again. The only comfort she had in it was that he'd told her, at least in part, what was going on. The woman sighed, "I need a drink."

"I might not be able to afford some sort of fancy alcohol, but would you take me up on a coffee? Or, I know this great little ice cream place just down the road…" Mark had appeared next to her desk, and was giving her a disarming smile. "You look worked to the bone. Mr. Stark keeps you on your toes, doesn't he?"

Pepper frowned at Mark and got to her feet. "How'd you get in here?"

The blond man gave a guilty sort of laugh, raising his hands in a sort of surrender, "I actually hadn't left. There was something else that I wanted to bring up with Mr. Stark, and was trying to figure out the best way to go about it. I figured that coming to you would be my best option, but I didn't want to interrupt that conversation you two were having," he shrugged. "But you look like you could use a break."

It was true. Pepper really could use a break, especially after what Tony had just told her. And Mark seemed willing to help. She'd read his application and resume – after all, it was Pepper who'd helped Tony choose his newest employees. He seemed like a nice person, and willing to help. "You know, I really could." Pepper let herself smile and placed the Blackberry on her desk. "I'll take you up on that ice cream. But I can't now. I've got a few things to take care of."

"Say nothing more. I'll just wait for you by the elevator on the bottom floor when you get off." Mark threw a thumb towards the elevator. "What time should I be there?"

"Six o-clock would be perfect," Pepper replied, already feeling her stress unravel. It really was a nice thing that Mark was doing. She was pretty sure he had no idea how much that was going to help keep her head on straight. "Do they have rocky road flavor?"

"You bet they do. It's my favorite. Oh, and you're not allowed to worry about work on my watch." He tapped a rather large wristwatch on his left hand and gave her a knowing look through his thick frames. "Got it?"

Pepper nodded and let herself slowly sink back into her chair. With a slight upward curl of the corners of her mouth, she said, "Yes sir."

* * *

End chapter three! Next one up soon. I promise! And, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated! Let me know how I'm doing. 8D


	4. Chapter 4: Loose Ends

Sorry this took so long, guys! I'll try and get the next chapter up sooner than later! I'm excited though. So I should be able to write it fairly quickly. :D Enjoy! As always, I do like those reviews. Seeing those little emails in my inbox make my heart go pitter-pat! 3

* * *

**Chapter Four: Loose Ends**

Tony didn't take the suit.

When an unexpected jet was spotted on radar at about five o'clock A.M. and a radio was sent out to inquire of its intentions, Jarvis' smooth words came in reply, "I believe Mr. Stark has a meeting with Mr. James Rhodes. We'd like clearance to land." He gave the correct pass code and a few minutes later, the plane came to a smooth landing on the base's own tarmac.

Rhodey was outside waiting for Tony to disembark, and nearly hugged the man when he stepped out. He was in a suit, yes, but it wasn't metal, nor was it red and gold. Ostentatious? Absolutely. Rhodey never saw Tony in anything that cost less than a car. But the custom tailored suit wasn't toting miniature rockets, and that is all that mattered to the Colonel's peace of mind. "Tony, good to see you."

Tony raised his eyebrows and tugged his sunglasses off his face, dark eyes searching his friend and landing immediately on the bandage around his right arm and shoulder. "And you too… Did you hurt yourself opening a pickle jar again?" He waved his sunglasses at the injury, which got a few chuckles from the surrounding men.

The injured man simply shook his head and gave a little laugh, "Dunno what I'd do without you, Tone." He rolled his eyes. "Caught a bullet to the shoulder in the scuffle. It'll be fine in a few days."

"Good to hear," Tony clapped him lightly on the injured shoulder and looked around the area, spotting a small complex not too far off. "That where they stashed everything?"

"Yeah," Rhodes replied, swallowing a yelp against the pain. "Come on, I'll get you in."

The building was small and simple. It used to be an old hangar until the US had taken over that small area in the middle of the desert. When they did, it had been refitted to be a sort of makeshift office space with a wide area at one end for storage. Tony and Rhodey entered through the main doorway and as they walked through, Rhodey recounted what had happened to him. Tony seemed mildly interested in what was being said, but it was obvious he was more focused on their destination than what had led him to the area in the first place. He was the sort to always look ahead, after all.

They arrived at the stack of weaponry and Rhodey waved his mobile hand at it. "There it is. We've looked at it, and it's familiar, but that's about all our techies could give us. Half the stuff probably doesn't even work. It's a mess of different parts all shoved together." He gave a shrug. "But they were pretty determined that we wouldn't get our hands on it. It doesn't make much sense. That's why I called you. Some of the stuff in there looked like yours."

"Nnnhnnnm." Tony said, shrugging out of his jacket and immediately rolled up his sleeves. He'd hardly heard anything his friend had said, and was already in his mind's eye disassembling the pieces in the crates, examining each part, looking for something he knew was made by his own hand. "I need some tools and somewhere to work," he said, turning his head enough for Rhodey to know he was being addressed. His eyes, however didn't leave the stack of crates in front of him. Tony Stark was focused, and there was going to be no breaking him out of it until he was certain he'd learned all there was to learn about the items in front of him.

* * *

Four hours later found Tony up to his elbows in oil and dirt. He'd taken a number of weapons out of the seized cache and broken them down to their individual pieces. It had been meticulous and grating on the nerves. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. His eyes danced over the bits of metal and screws and transistors and computer chips he'd lain out on the desk in front of him. "None of this is mine," he concluded. One of his hands drifted towards his chest, fingers tapping lightly on the arc reactor's casing just under his shirt. It had been a habit he'd formed almost immediately after getting it put in. "Some of the design is similar, but it's not mine."

He leaned back and craned his neck, looking for Rhodey. The man was talking to another soldier and had some paperwork in his hands. Tony pursed his lips for a moment, then brought a hand up to his lips, finger and thumb forming an aid to help him give a sharp whistle. The sound caught Jim's attention and he jogged over to where Tony was. "So, what's the word?"

"Not mine." Tony shrugged.

"Not yours?"

"That's what I said. They didn't shoot your ears too, did they?"

Rhodey wrinkled his nose, "Not _mine_ anyway." He looked over the metal on the table, then at Tony. "Alright, well, I guess I called you out for nothing…" He bit at his bottom lip and gave a sigh.

"What is it?" Tony asked as he got to his feet. He waved down a private walking by and put a large bill in his hand. "A drink. I don't care what it is, just something with a kick to it." He patted the confused soldier on the back.

"Yessir, Mr. Stark, sir." The young man saluted with the money still in hand and double-timed it away.

_If only they'd react that fast to actual orders…_ Rhodey thought as he watched the private run off. He focused on Tony's question. "Nothin', man… It's just that there were a LOT of guys protecting this stuff. I was sure that was because it was worth keeping. We both know that Stark Tech weaponry is still the finest out there, and it's getting more and more rare, 'cause you're not making it anymore. Tony, something just doesn't feel right."

"I'll bet it's the food they serve here. There's only so long a guy can last on microwave dinners and instant coffee."

Rhodey gave him a look, "No, man. I mean it. They fought too hard for this stuff."

"Most of it's useless. Some of the guns would work. A few missiles. But I'll bet the majority of it's dead weight. They could maybe get a few thousand selling scrap, but that's it." Tony shrugged and brightened up as the soldier returned with a bottle in hand. He offered a nod of thanks and took a drink, much to the obvious distaste of his friend.

"It's a good thing you're not the one flying, Tone," Rhodey put in. "But seriously, this doesn't bother you?"

Tony shook his head. "They're not my weapons. Not my problem anymore." He grabbed his suit coat and hooking a finger in the collar, slung it over his shoulder. "I've got to get back. Pep's gonna kill me for leaving in the first place. I had a meeting with the Mayor today. I think." He dismissed the thought with a shrug. "Clear the runway for me, would ya Rhodey?"

Jim sighed. "You got it, boss."

"Good man." Tony once again clapped him on the shoulder and started back towards his plane. "Hey, I'll see you 'round." He flashed a grin and popped the sunglasses he'd been wearing when he arrived back over his eyes.

Rhodey didn't like the way he'd said that. He had a feeling he'd see some red and gold in the area sooner than he'd like. "See ya."

As soon as Tony was safely in the air once more, and out of military airspace, Jim took some time to look over the mess Tony had left. Taken apart, the weapons all looked like hunks of metal and screws. To Rhodey, it was a wonder Tony could tell what the pieces were, much less whether the way they were shaped or functioned were of his design. The man reached forward and plucked a particularly odd shaped computer chip off the table. He'd done it with his right hand before realizing that was probably a bad idea.

"Th'hell?" He muttered. The movement should have been at the very least uncomfortable. The man pressed lightly on the tightly bandaged wound and found no pain in response. In fact, it had dulled to a faint tingle, almost like an itch.

That voice that had insisted he was missing something important had grown to an ear-splitting shriek.

* * *

"It's just now ten o'clock P.M., Miss Potts. Your shift for the day ended an hour ago." Jarvis said quietly, the sudden sound making Pepper jump. "Although Mr. Stark told me that he had given you the day off today."

"Yeah, he did," She'd been sitting in Tony's living room for most of the day, re-arranging his schedule and trying to clean up the mess he'd made by not showing up for work for an effective three days in a row. "But we both know that wouldn't work out well for him in the end, don't we?" After she'd taken a break (at Jarvis' insistence) for dinner, she'd lost herself in phone calls and spreadsheets. If Pepper had taken a day off, there was no telling what she'd have to clean up when she did come back.

"The probability of Mr. Stark returning to a smooth-running company without your support is very low indeed, Miss Potts."

The television had long ago been turned off, and the only lights in the room were the fireplace and a small lamp beside the couch. Pepper's freckled face was a pale white against the glare of her laptop, but her mind wasn't on the lists in front of her. Until Jarvis had alerted her of the time, she'd been in her own little daydream, mind back on the previous day. Honestly, she felt a bit guilty about the whole thing. After all, Mark had only taken her out for some ice cream.

But he was just so _nice._ Pepper couldn't explain it, but he had been able to help her relax. She'd smiled, laughed, and even let him take her home. Tony had left her at the office without a car, as he'd had Happy take the day off. He'd helped her forget about the stress of working for Tony Stark, and let her remember that she was a woman – still young – who had a lot to offer.

The woman found that she was smiling despite herself. She quietly closed her laptop and sat it on the coffee table in front of her, only to be again startled by Jarvis' voice. This time though, he wasn't addressing her.

"Good evening, Mr. Stark. I see you've made it home in once piece."

"Can it, Jarvis. I'm beat. Did I miss anything while I was gone?" Tony's voice preceded his body as he came into the room. He was wearing a pair of jeans and his old MIT sweatshirt, and looking exhausted. Pepper realized that he probably hadn't slept. Again.

"No, you didn't. I made sure everything was taken care of, like I said I would," Pepper said. She had gotten to her feet and was packing her things. For reasons she couldn't explain, she felt guilty for being in his house. She hadn't expected him back as soon as he was, and seeing him in that state made her feel bad for the thought of feeling happy at all. She might have been the one to run the logistical aspect of Stark's business, but he really did have a lot to worry about too.

"Pepper!" Tony immediately brightened up when he spotted her. "I thought I told you to take the day off. I'd say that you did and actually took up my offer to stay here, but the laptop in your hand gives me the feeling you were working." He waggled a finger at her, "That's off-the-clock work. The rules say I should fire you for that."

Pepper gave her boss a smile as she felt her stomach fall. He looked so happy to see her, and it only made the guilt worse. "Mr. Stark, I don't think you would have the guts to fire me. I'd come back to your office to gather my things and find you half-buried under paperwork, curled up in a little ball." She started packing her laptop and other bits of electronics into their carrying cases.

"You're probably right," Tony chuckled, rubbing the back of his hand against his bearded chin. His goatee was getting a bit shaggy… He'd have to trim it. "I guess I'm stuck with you for a while. But I still owe you a day off."

"Then I'll take one tomorrow," Pepper said, feeling that her response was a bit too quick. She winced inwardly.

Tony looked at her warily. He'd caught just how fast she'd said that. "Oh? Do you have plans?"

Pepper cleared her throat, "Actually, yes. I do."

"It's not your birthday, is it? Jarvis, when's Pepper's birthday?"

"Sir, Miss Potts has informed me that I'm not allowed to tell you that. You're supposed to remember."

Tony groaned, "My own creation likes my PA better than me. Just don't turn on me like Frankenstein's monster."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir," Jarvis quipped.

"It's not my birthday." Pepper paused and bit at her bottom lip. "In fact I made sure that everything was in order for you tomorrow because I have a date." As soon as the words escaped her, she wished she could take them back.

Tony remained quiet for a split second longer than either of them was comfortable with. Then he nodded and let himself drop onto his couch. He put his feet up on the table beside Pepper's things. "Alright, Miss Potts, if you have a date, then you'd best get home and make sure you sleep well. We wouldn't want my working you too hard to interfere, would we?"

"No, we wouldn't want that," Pepper said quietly, watching her hands finish packing her things away. She wouldn't meet Tony's gaze. He didn't try to catch hers.

"Jarvis, find something worth watching on TV."

"Of course sir. What are you in the mood for?"

Pepper didn't hear Tony's answer though. She had hurried out of the room, digging her keys out of her bag as her heels made their muffled sound against the plush carpet of Tony Stark's living room floor. The dismissive tone her boss had used still rang in her ears as she slipped outside into the cool night and found her car.

She sat behind the wheel and jammed the key into the ignition, but didn't start it. Her hands gripped the steering wheel and her green eyes stared ahead, at Tony's mansion. Pepper pursed her lips and shook her head. There was no need to be upset. In fact, there was no need to feel guilty. No rules had been set that said Pepper couldn't date, and even company policy allowed it – she and Mark were from different branches, so there wasn't a conflict of interest. Not technically.

So, the redhead nodded firmly, started the car, and drove home.

When she pulled into the driveway of her small, but lovely little home, she was surprised to see another car there. It was even more surprising that it was running, and just so happened to be the vehicle that Mark had offered as her transport the day before. Puzzled, she put her little Audi in park and hopped out of the car, heels click-clicking on the concrete until she made it over by the car.

Pepper cupped her hands around her face and peered into the driver's side window, where she spotted Mark dozing in the seat. With a bit of a laugh, Pepper knocked on the window and startled Mark into wakefulness. "What're you doing here?" She asked.

Mark rubbed at his eyes and flailed about until he found the door handle. Pepper stepped away as he too got out of his car and gave a yawn. "Well, I hadn't heard back from you on whether you'd be able to make it tomorrow, so I thought I'd wait here for you to get home to find out in person." He smiled. "So, I guess now's the moment."

"Believe it or not, I managed to get the day off tomorrow. I'm all yours." Pepper let the corners of her mouth curl upwards, and she saw Mark's face light up, much like Tony's had. Though his was almost brighter. He was really excited to see her, wasn't he?

"Excellent! Believe me, you'll have the time of your life, Pep. I promise."

Pepper gave a laugh and nodded, "I'm willing to shoot for that."

"See you tomorrow then, bright and early," Mark said with a wide grin.

"You bet," Pepper replied.

* * *

End chapter four! Next one up soooon. I promise. 3


End file.
